This post was originally posted on Local Guest Medium Profile
There’s no doubt about it: Santurce is one of the hippest neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many local artists have chosen Santurce as the spot to showcase their talents in many different fields of the arts scenes. Here in Local Guest, we love to promote the arts and definitely, all the work of our local artists past and present. These are the spots you need to visit in our neighborhood for the best art experience.
Calle Cerra
Calle Cerra has become one of the favorite places of local and tourists to go mural and graffiti hunting. Many entrepreneurs have found in Calle Cerra a spot to invest and many new restaurants and bars are part of the Calle Cerra art experience. Thanks to Santurce es Ley, many artists have found in this street the place to showcase their talents. Santurce es Ley is a project started eight years ago by a group of artists with the objective of giving the area a revival. If you visit Calle Cerra, you will get a glimpse of where this revival have taken this spot.
To support the development of local and international art projects, Recinto Cerra was also born as a space where most artists can showcase their work. If you visit Calle Cerra, this is one of the places you need to check.
MAC: Santurce Libro Mural
Santurce Libro Mural is a project commissioned by the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC) composed of an urban intervention that combines pictures and narrative. The artists behind this are Rafael Trelles and the author Francisco Font Acevedo. There are 22 frames spread around the neighborhood that help to understand better its story.
Learn more about this project and don’t miss the stations if you have the chance.
Centro de Bellas Artes
El Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferre is the major stage for cultural purposes in the island. On their different halls theater, concerts, and many events take place during the year. The Symphonic Orchestra residency is located on the Symphonic Hall here. Their Juan Morel Campos square also features art pieces. There you can find the “Muses”, nine bronze sculptures by Annex Burgos. These Muses represent the different disciplines that takes part of the Fine Arts: singing, dancing, literature, architecture, design, plastic arts, cinema, music and theater.
El Hangar
El Hangar was born as a community based collective focused in offering social transformation alternatives using the art as a tool to achieve this. It is located in “La Parada 15” and its supporting different art manifestations such as musicians, painters, and creative writing workshops. It is definitely a must visit if you are looking for community based programs.
El Cuadrado Gris
El Cuadrado Gris is a contemporary art platform where both emerging and consecrated multidisciplinary artists are showcased & archived. Founded by Anna Astor-Blanco and the video artist Ozzie Forbes, who have created one of the most dynamic and interesting art spaces in Santurce, specifically Barrio Obrero.
Espacio 1414
Espacio 1414 was born in order to contribute to the development of the arts scene in Puerto Rico. Their main collection, The Berezdivin Collection, was built from a special interest in contemporary art from Latin America, has diversified throughout the years in order to cover the wide range of practices and discourses of international contemporary art. Today, the collection aims to bring visual arts closer to a wider audience, and complement Puerto Rico’s cultural offer with an open program that enables different collaborations with artists and curators, continuing with the tradition of commissioning projects and working with pieces from the collection for its exhibitions. Espacio 1414 is opened by appointment only. Visit their website for more details.
El Lobi
El Lobi is a non profit cultural organization whose job is to promote creative production and critical thinking through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural exchange in order to bring closer the artistic community with the people.
One of the most interesting things about El Lobi is that they offer artistic residencies to cultural agents outside Puerto Rico including Puerto Ricans living in the diaspora and people from all over Latin America. Definitely, this is a space you need to visit while in San Juan.
Hidrante
Hidrante is a community oriented space focused in providing exhibitions, screenings and photography workshops. It also works as a space for community use. One of its biggest features is that it has a black and white analog darkroom.
In the case of Hidrante, we encourage you to reach them through their social media in order to check their opening times.
When it comes to arts, Santurce definitely has a lot to offer and you should definitely see and explore the artscene on your visit. What is your favorite gallery or art space in Puerto Rico? Tell us in our comments.